By: Y. Dayee
THE MINISTER of Education and Tamale South Member of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu has said government was reviewing the curriculum for basic education in the country to include Robotic, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Coding to reflect modern trend in education to develop critical problem solvers for the country.
The Minister revealed this yesterday in Sunyani when he launched a pilot programme that will begin teaching of Basic Science Technology, Engineering & Mathematics otherwise BSTEM at some selected basic schools in the country.
The project which is being rolled out in three phases to cover all schools at the basic level throughout the country starts with training of coordinators, selected teachers to cover 4, 400 Junior High Schools in the country.
The schools shall be supplied with equipment and laboratories to encourage practical and hands on training of basic science technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The project is collaboratively being implemented by the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service and ITEC Gllobal, an expert’s organization in training of modern science and technology.
The launch brought together students from some selected basic schools, ,teachers, districts and municipal directors of education regional directors of education and officials of the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service including the Chief Director of the education Ministry for the launch and training session for coordinators and trainers of trainer teachers.
Addressing the participants, the Haruna Iddrisu emphasized the need to make teaching of BSTEM exciting to junior high students by developing their interest to the SHS level and beyond.
” STEM/BSTEM is not only about laboratories and infrastructure but about equipping the Ghanaian child with knowledge and hands on skills that will give lifelong impact on them and the country
He explained that President Mahama’s reset agenda in education is in line with what ITEC Global in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service is introducing in basic schools to encourage teaching of Basic Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
‘In line with this we are reviewing the school curriculum to include Robotic, Artificial Intelligence and Coding to reflect modern day trend in education.
‘What STEM/BSTEM does is to move away from the challenges of today’s teaching to become problem solvers by developing critical thinking capacities of students.
He assured us that the government will provide the necessary investments and provide infrastructure to enhance teaching of STEM and BSTEM at the pre-tertiary levels.
Mr. Haruna praised the current Vice President Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang for mooting the idea of BSTEM education at the basic level when she was the minister of education during President Mahama’s first administration in 2012.
On his part, the Director – General of Ghana Education Service, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davies said the project was expected to create opportunities for learners through teaching innovation and critical thinking methods. He said it was important for teachers to regularly update their knowledge and skills to impact students.
‘There must be deliberate efforts to train teachers to support delivery of standard curriculum to 4,400 JHS schools in the country. As a result, we are going to supply delivery of equipment at JHS levels. This is in line with government ambition to build and sustain interest of students in BSTEM to SHS and beyond.
He said teachers are going to be equipped with pedagogical skills to go back and be useful to their schools. He tasked teachers who shall benefit from the training to go back and teach their fellow teachers
The GES will do everything to ensure skills learned will translate into reality and to create innovators and entrepreneurs who will be problem solvers
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Giving the project overview, Cressy Gordon from ITEC explained that the project is going to be implemented in three phases saying teachers are going to be trained so the MOE is going to be instrumental in the implementation.
She also eulogies Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang who contacted ITEC to review challenges facing basic education in Ghana
By the end of phase three all basic schools will be equipped to teach BSTEM, by creating training instructors for one hundred schools and 4,400 JHS.
SHSs shall be equipped with Math’s, ICT and Engineering equipment and 8,800 teachers shall be trained among other implementation strategies.